


The legend of the abandoned castle

by MarUmiWrites



Series: Tales of quaratine [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Data of a future novel I want to publish, Excuse the lack of historical context if there is, Gen, Please inform me if you find any, Vampires, all made up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-03-23
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23282533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarUmiWrites/pseuds/MarUmiWrites
Series: Tales of quaratine [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674385
Comments: 4
Kudos: 4





	The legend of the abandoned castle

It was a dark night, like many others. The castle was once more empty, with no living soul in its hallways. Only the sound of the wind was heard once in a while, sometimes opening a door that couldn't be completely closed, even after the restoration that was made. People from around the world now visited that castle, once in ruins, and about to collapse. But an old legend made the local people collect all the money they could to restore it. A legend about a lonely duke that isolated himself after the death of his whole family at hands of a jealous and evil king.

The wind moved the door again, but it was stopped by a hand. The hand of a tall man, with pale skin and long nails, and an eternal sadness reflected in his face. He walked down the silent hallways, opening each and every door, checking every single room of the castle, and remembering everything that once happened in there. The rooms were restored exactly as he remembered, since the restorers found his old diaries with details of how each one looked like. He left them there on purpose when he heard what they wanted to do.

But in that usual night, something was unusual. As always, he heard his footsteps as he walked down the hallways, but also someone else's. That made him stop walking, and the second pair of footsteps stopped behind him. That was something impossible. Since his family died, he had been alone in that castle. No one else lived there with him, so there was only an answer. A stranger, most probably a human. But a human that silent for that long time was unusual, so he turned slowly, only to find nothing. For the first time in centuries, he felt fear. When he was alive, he already feared them. The ghosts. That was the only answer he had for what was happening.

\- So, you're the guy that lives here, huh? - said a girl's voice behind him.

Those words made the duke scream out of fear. He didn't expect anyone to be there. She got surprised by his reaction.

\- You have been alone for a really long time to react like that - said the girl.

\- Who are you? - asked the duke -. What are you doing in my castle?

\- Don't be scared. No one will know.

She smiled, leaving her mouth a little open, so the duke could see her fangs. Was in that moment when he noticed that she was floating.

\- You're a vampire too? - asked the duke.

\- And I suppose you're the duke of the legend that runs around. I came to know if you were still around, since my master hasn't seen you in a while.

\- I haven't left this castle since my family died centuries ago.

\- The same time my master hasn't seen you. My master Vlad.

\- Vlad Tepes Draculea?

\- Yes, but the one known as the owl, not the impaler.

\- Vlad, the owl. I remember him. The cousin of Vlad the impaler. Like he's that innocent, for you to call him master. Because of him, I am this horrendous creature that can't walk under the sun.

\- For the last century, master Vlad has been teaching the younger generations of vampires to surive in the outside world. Also, he has been investigating what makes one become a vampire. But, before I tell you that, I want to hear the real story of the legend.

The duke found the petition of the girl a little surprising, but he agreeded. Was something he never told anyone, but he was also curious about what Vlad the owl discovered, even if he hated him for turning him into a vampire.

He guided her to a longue, with a huge fireplace made of marble that hadn't worked in ages. The duke sat at his personal armchair in front of the fireplace while the girl examinated it. It was sculpted, decorated with roses and dragons.

\- It's a beautiful piece - she said.

\- Why does Vlad teach younger vampires? - asked the duke.

\- Ah-ah, you go first. What happened to your family?

As she said that, she sat on the other armchair, situated exactly in front of the duke. He looked at the ground for a moment, before starting his tragic story.

\- I was once the wisest man of the kingdom, and the king wanted me at his service - explained the duke -. That should have been an honor to me, but the man I once knew changed once he got the crown. His only goal was to conquer everything around him, and I didn't want to participate. So he tried to get me in other ways. First, by marrying one of my daugthers. Then, by engaging my only son to his only daughter. And, finally, but not less horrible, he suggested that he should have a child with my wife. Obviously, I declined all those options, so he threatened my family. Before we could even escape, he killed them all. I wasn't there when it happened, so I couldn't protect them, and the king waited for me to come back, and cut my neck. The next thing I remember was Vlad the owl next to me, and the king and his men impaled. He told me that, from that moment, I had to drink human blood to survive, and avoid the sun. When I asked for my family, he said that they didn't survive like I did, because I was a vampire. A cold monster with no hearbeat that had to drink blood to survive. But now I know I don't need blood to live. Haven't tasted a single drop in ages, and I managed to keep my thirst under control.

\- So that's the reason why you look so skinny...

\- Is that a problem?

\- Not for now. But there are a few errors on what you said. We do have a heartbeat, but it's that slow that doesn't exist for humans. We lose weight 100 times slower than humans, if we don't eat at all. Also, Vlad discovered that the vampires that aren't born need a necromantic ritual to exist. That's what happened to you. That's the final curse your king put into you. Live all eternity, alone. He used the blood of your children for that. Virgin and innocent children.

\- What? How do you know that?

\- Vlad told me, and I confirmed it in the dungeon of the castle. There's a hidden room where a ritual was done.

The duke couldn't believe what the girl said. He needed to see it with his own eyes.

\- In the dungeon, you say? - asked the duke -. I must see it.

\- Follow me.

Even only being one day in the castle, the girl knew the hallways to enter the dungeon pretty well.

\- I came this morning with the first guided visit - explained the girl -. While being in the dungeon, I noticed that something was wrong. There was an strong evil energy, and I needed to check out. So I hid and stayed until now. I explored the dungeon as a bat, and no one suspected, since there is a cave that connects with the dungeon, that is full of bats, and sometimes one appears here. They explained that in the following visits. I was planning to hide beween people when they arrived at the dungeon, but was not needed thinks to this little detail.

\- Since when there is a connection with a cave in the dungeon? - asked the duke, not remembering that from his past.

\- Since the floor fell during the restoration. They closed that part of the dungeon for safety.

\- And how do you know that?

\- I heard every explanation from the dungeons while investigating.

When they arrived at the forbbiden zone, the girl suggested to float, since the floor was pretty fragile in that part. Was then when the duke could see the enormous hole that leaded to the cave, filled with bats of all sizes.

\- You were lucky that they couldn't go further - explained the girl -. Otherwise, they would probably believe that you killed the king and his army for revenge, and to ressurrect your family.

\- Is it really that bad?

The girl pressed a brick, which opened a secret room. Inside, there were the bones of a goat that died a long ago, the wax of some candles completely melted, but not much more.

\- In dark it's not well seen, but there is a black magic circle, once made with blood, darkened by the rooting process, and nearly invisible, but still there. When blood is used for dark and necromantic magic, it's hard for it to disappear. I'm sorry to say it, but here is where your family died.

The duke sat at the floor, with his legs crossed, and lowered his head to try to hide the fact that he was crying. The girl didn't say anything, leaving him space to process what he just discovered.

\- Why was I the only one that turned into a vampire? - asked the duke after a while -. Why weren't the rest of my family?

\- The kind of necromancic magic they used is forbidden, forgotten, and destroyed - answered the girl -. You need four human sacrifices for it. Three pure souls, and one deeply connected with the target. The ritual must be done while the target is still alive, and then kill that person. Master Vlad knows this ritual well, because is the one they used for him. He lost his closest friends and his mother in the process. But I think that's something he has to tell you by himself.

\- How did he end next to the impaler?

\- He was sent with them because he rebelled against his father. His similitude with the impaler, and also the fact that they shared name, made the impaler's father think on him as a replacement for his enemies to kidnap or kill. His story is way worse than you think. You should come out and ask him by yourself.

\- This is my home. I can't leave like that.

\- This is a museum now. No one lives here except you, trapped in time. You have an eternity to discover, do you want to lose it?

\- Give me some hours to think about it.

\- All the time you need.

The duke went to the library of his castle, followed by the girl. She checked every single one of the books while he wandered around the library, looking through the window and to old paintings. Even to a mirror in which he couldn't be reflected. Only his clothes.

\- Is that a silver based mirror? - asked the girl some hours later, when she saw the mirror.

\- A what?

\- I have never seen one. Most of them are made of aluminium now.

\- Aluminium?

\- You have been isolated for really long, so you can't know. Silver hasn't been used on mirrors, cameras, and cutlery for some decades. You only have to worry about sun a silver jewelry right now. And avoid churches, but I don't have to tell you that.

\- That's quite a surprise.

\- Oh, almost forgot. Most of the vampires you will meet are like me, children of other vampires.

\- Is that even possible?

\- Difficult, but not impossible. Also depends on the culture of the country they came from.

\- But we are dead, aren't I?

\- Not completely. I told you earlier, our hearts still beat. Slower, but they beat. Recently, the half vampires have been abandoned by our parents, specially the ones that are more vampire than human. Master Vlad has been taking us all and raising us, specially after Lucifer found out about it and asked him to do so.

\- Wait, Lucifer? The devil?

\- He's actually a fallen angel, but that's another story. He's a nice guy, unlike what it's said about him. He was the one that found me, and brought me with master Vlad. They even discussed if he should take care of me or not. Master Vlad didn't think it was a good idea, but in the end he did, and ended taking care of many other vampires my age, and younger. Recently, he told me about you. I think it was his way to tell me to come here and find you.

\- I see... I'm not going with him.

\- That's fine. But I know where you are now, so I can come with him if I want to.

\- You won't dare...

\- You don't know me. Sun is rising, I must go. See you soon.

The girl transformed into a bat, and flew away through a window as sunrise came. The duke looked at her go before going back to his hideout inside his own castle to sleep.


End file.
